Renuka Singh, Deepti Sharma shine before Shafali Verma powers India to series win | Cricket News
Thiruvananthapuram: Under the lights at Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield Stadium, cheered on by nearly 6,000 fans, India delivered another emphatic all-round performance to surge 3–0 up in the five-match T20 series against Sri Lanka on Friday. Winning the toss for the third consecutive game, Harmanpreet Kaur once again chose to field, and India exploited the conditions perfectly, strangling Sri Lanka to 112/7 before Shafali Verma’s dazzling riposte.The Indian opener’s staggering assault left Sri Lanka scrambling for cover. Her unbeaten 79 off 42 was the cornerstone of a dominant chase, powering India home with more than six overs to spare and eight wickets in the shed, underlining the gulf between the teams.
Medium-pacer Renuka Singh, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, set the tone for India early. Sharp, skiddy and relentlessly accurate, she was the enforcer-in-chief, ripping through Sri Lanka’s middle order with figures of 4/21.Sri Lanka opener Hasini Perera briefly lit up the evening with a breezy 25, but her resistance was snuffed out swiftly. Harshitha Samarawickrama chipped straight back, Nilakshika Silva was pinned in front of the crease. Imesha Dulani was the Himachali girl’s fourth scalp.If Renuka brought the fire, Deepti Sharma brought the ice. Returning after missing a game due to fever, the allrounder slipped straight back into command mode, picking up three vital wickets and becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is. She has now equalled Megan Schutt with 151 international wickets in this format.Sri Lanka opener Chamari Athapaththu’s scratchy stay ended in Deepti’s web, and later she removed Kavisha Dilhari — after a punchy 20 hinted at a shift in momentum — and Malsha Shehani to ensure Sri Lanka never escaped the squeeze.In pursuit, India barely allowed the contest to breathe. The girl from Rohtak continued her purple patch with a second consecutive fifty in the series, reaching the landmark tonight in just 24 deliveries. Shafali bats like she’s borrowed Virender Sehwag’s playbook: fearless, uncluttered and unapologetically aggressive.She was particularly brutal against left-arm spinner Nimasha Meepage, hammering 29 runs from her two Powerplay overs, and unfurled one irresistible cover drive off pacer Malki Madara that brought the crowd to its feet. Like Sehwag, Shafali thrives on instinct rather than convention, trusting her eye, timing and power over textbook technique. In that sense, she doesn’t just echo his style, but embodies his philosophy, reimagined for the new generation.Her dominance allowed the rest of the batting group time and freedom to settle, as India cruised home in complete control. Ruthless with the ball, fearless with the bat, India once again dictated every phase, in a performance as commanding as it was entertaining.“It was a great series for all of us. That’s what we discussed after the (ODI) World Cup that we have to raise our standard and be more aggressive in T20s because the (T20) World Cup is coming up so we are happy with our overall performances,” Harmanpreet beamed at the post-match presentation.
